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desperately needed to hear them said to him.

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With a sigh, he sat back and contemplated his father’s face.

But did he need to hear anything? He was an adult now, he had

his whole life ahead of him to ruin or enjoy at will. His father had

nothing, not even kind memories of his son to see him through

to the end. «My lord?»

A voice came from the doorway behind him and Minshom

blinked. He turned around to see another familiar face from his

past and forced a smile.

«Mistress Epsom, are you responsible for looking after my

father?»

«I’m one of those responsible, my lord. He is cared for around

the clock. I just went to get some fresh water for his wash.»

She curtsied then set the jug and bowl she was carrying down

on the sideboard and went to check on the earl. She laid her palm

on the side of his face and frowned. «He is very warm, did you

notice that?»

«Not really, but then I haven’t seen him in so long, I wouldn’t

know.»

«That’s true, sir.»

There was no reproach in the woman’s voice and somehow

that made Minshom feel even worse. He watched as Mistress

Epsom dunked a cloth in the bowl, poured some water over it

and wrung it out. She brought it back to the bed and began to

gently wash the earl’s face.

«Do you think he can recognize me?»

«It’s possible, sir. Sometimes he seems to understand what is

going on around him, but most of the time he just sleeps.»

«He looks rather thin.»

«That’s because he finds it almost impossible to chew and

swallow, sir. We mainly feed him gruel and soup, but it can be

difficult to get anything down him.»

Minshom sighed as she finished bathing the earl’s face and

returned the cloth to the wash basin. He leaned forward to stare

into his father’s eyes, realized he was being observed.

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«I’m glad to be home, Father. I’ll keep you safe.»

It was little enough and still not easy to say. The idea of

having to protect his own father seemed ridiculous, but what else

could he do for this frail old man, this deflated monster from his

childhood, but give him the dignity of dying comfortably in his

own bed, cared for by his family?

The earl tried to speak, the sound trapped in his throat, his

mouth working as he fought his paralysis. «Son…»

Minshom nodded, his own words almost as painful to utter as

the earl’s. «Yes, I’m here and I’ll be staying for as long as you

need me. Now rest and I’ll come back and see you later.»

«If you like, sir, I’ll get one of the footman to call you when

he’s sitting up and is a bit more himself.» Mistress Epsom

frowned. «If that happens today; sometimes it doesn’t.»

«That would be much appreciated.» Minshom stood up and

studied Mistress Epsom’s deft hands as she knitted some kind of

sock or stocking. «Are you no longer presiding over the kitchens,

then?»

«No, sir, my daughter Amy is in charge now.» She looked up

at him over her spectacles. «It became a bit much for me in my

later years.»

«I’ll miss your delicate hand with an apple tart.»

She smiled up at him. «My daughter’s is even better, believe

me, sir. Now why don’t you run along and find Lady Minshom?

I’m sure she’ll be delighted to see you.»

After one last look back at the now snoring figure on the bed,

Minshom left the room, marveling at how Mistress Epsom made

him feel simultaneously so at home and yet aged about ten. If he

dared to be sarcastic or rude to her, he suspected, heir to an

earldom or not, she’d still give him a clip around the ear.

His steps slowed as he reached the main hallway. He didn’t

share her certainty that Jane would be pleased to see him at all,

but he was here now, so he might as well try his luck. He

beckoned to the lone footman loitering in the hall.

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Kate Pearce

«Where is her ladyship?»

«I beg you pardon, sir?»

Minshom sighed. Not only was the young man not familiar to

him at all, but he obviously had no idea who Minshom was

either.

«Where can I find Lady Minshom?»

«She’s in the little sitting room, sir, but...»

Minshom made a dismissive gesture. «It’s all right; I know

where that is, I’ll find her myself.»

«Don’t you want me to announce you, sir?»

Minshom glared at the blushing youth. «I hardly think I need

announcing in my own house.»

«Sir?»

Without bothering to explain, Minshom set off toward the

back of the house, past the formal rooms and into the more

homely part of the house where the family really lived. He didn’t

bother to knock on the sitting room door, just walked right in

and found his wife sitting on the couch holding hands with

another man.

«Good afternoon, my lady.» Minshom looked down his nose

at the other man until he let go of Jane’s hands and rose to his

feet. «Have we met before, sir? And regardless of that fact, may I

suggest you stop mauling my wife?»

«He is scarcely mauling me, my lord.»

Minshom barely spared a scorching glare for Jane, who looked

remarkably composed for a woman caught behaving scandalously

with another man.

«Lord Minshom?» Minshom reckoned they were about the

same age, although the other man was blond and bigger framed

than him. «It is an honor to meet you, my lord. I’m Sir Derek

Barrows; I recently bought the old Nash property adjoining your

estates.»

«How pleasant for you.»

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Sir Derek blanched at the chill in Minshom’s voice and looked

uncertainly at Jane. «Your wife has been most kind in welcoming

me to the neighborhood.»

«I’m sure she has.» Minshom bowed. «But as of now perhaps

you might consider you have overstayed your welcome and be on

your way.»

«Of course, my lord.» Sir Derek smiled at Jane. «Thank you

for being such an excellent listener, and I hope to see you again

shortly.» He glanced back at Minshom before returning his full

attention to Jane. «And if you ever need my assistance, don’t

hesitate to call.»

Minshom gritted his teeth. The man was obviously more

courageous than he looked. As if Jane needed protecting from

him. His fingers curled into fists. Mind you, sometimes the

thought of strangling her was not far away..

«Good afternoon, Sir Derek.» Minshom held open the door

with a flourish.

«Good afternoon to you both.» Sir Derek took his time

kissing Jane’s hands and then sauntered past Minshom with a big

smile on his face. «A pleasure to meet you, my lord.»

«Indeed.» Minshom didn’t smile back and closed the door

behind the insolent pup. He leaned up against it and looked at

Jane.

«Good afternoon, wife.»

She tilted her head back to observe him and he drank in the

sight of her disapproval, the jutting angle of her chin, the fire and

fear in her hazel eyes.

«And why exactly are you here? Did you get lost crawling

between the beds of your lovers?»

«Hardly that, Jane; I keep all my lovers in Town, not in the

wilds of Cheshire.» He took a seat opposite her and crossed one

booted foot over the other. «I came back to see my father.» He

waited for her reaction, was gratified to see the confusion in her

gaze. «You wanted me to see him, didn’t you?»

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Kate Pearce

«Of course I did. It was one of the, I mean, it was the main

reason I came to see you in Town.»

«The main reason.»

«Yes.» She busied herself with pouring more tea. «Have you

eaten? We keep country hours here, so dinner won’t be much

longer.»

He studied her carefully. Was it too soon to discuss their

marital predicament? She was probably expecting him to, but

there were other matters to discuss as well—his father, Sir Derek.

Perhaps he should make her wait, see how long her patience held

out before she laid her own cards on the table.

«I’ll wait for dinner. I need to change and wash the dust off.»

He smoothed his mud-streaked sleeve and stood up. «Perhaps

you can find me someone to assist me?»

Jane frowned and rose to her feet. In her high-waisted gown

there was no obvious sign that she was pregnant, and he was

damned if he was going to ask. «You didn’t bring Robert with

you?»

«Robert is no longer in my employ.» He walked to the door,

held it open and waited for her to join him. «I believe he is now

working for Captain Gray.»

«You let him go?»

He inclined his head. «He resigned and I accepted his choice.

There are always plenty of valets to be had in London.» He

frowned. «I have a new one. I believe his name is Smedley.»

Jane was staring at him as if she’d never seen him before.

God, he liked that, realized he felt more alive in her presence

than he felt with anyone else. He turned on his heel and marched

along the corridor, ducked his head to avoid a low beam and

headed up the shallow worn main staircase toward the bedrooms.

Jane stared at the back of Blaize’s head as he strode

confidently up the stairs. How dare he appear in her house and

act as if nothing had happened between them? That he hadn’t

trampled her heart and destroyed her dreams? Damn him. She

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wasn’t going to make it easy for him this time, and she certainly

wasn’t going to fall into his arms and let him bed her. She

panicked as he flung open a familiar door and went inside. His

saddlebags sat on the hearth rug as if they had a right to be there.

«You aren’t sleeping in here.» Jane folded her arms across her

chest and scowled at her husband. He picked up the dusty bags

and deposited them on the bed, went across and pulled the bell

rope.

«Do I have time for a bath before dinner?»

He stripped off his coat and threw it over a chair, started on

his cravat.

«You are not sleeping in here.»

«I am. It’s my room.»

«It’s my room!»

«Exactly, and we are man and wife, are we not?»

Jane worried her bottom lip with her teeth. «I thought you

came to see your father, not to spend time with me.»

He stripped off his cravat and waistcoat, unbuttoned his

breeches and drew his shirt over his head. He emerged with his

black hair ruffled and his cheeks flushed with color. He tossed

the shirt to her and she reflexively caught it, trying not to look at

his muscled chest and fine shoulders.

«I did come to see my father. In fact, I’ve already seen him.»

He shrugged. «Not that he was able to acknowledge the fact.»

Jane clutched the shirt to her bosom and tried to focus on his

words. «I’m sure that he is far more aware of what is going on

than we sometimes realize.»

He met her gaze, all the teasing and the artifice gone from his

pale blue eyes. «I told him I would always care for him.»

«You did?» Jane swallowed hard. She was so emotional these

days it was hard not to cry, and she did so not want to cry in

front of Blaize at this moment. «That was very good of you,

considering.»

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Kate Pearce

«Not really. I failed to tell him I forgave him.» His mouth

twisted. «In truth, I find myself quite unable to do so.»

She nodded. «Perhaps that will come in time.»

«I doubt it.» He sat down and tugged at his boots. She resisted

the impulse to help him, to kneel at his feet, to look up into his

beautiful eyes. She focused on his elegant stockinged feet.

«How long do you intend to stay here?»

«How long do you think he has left to live?»

«Not long, by all accounts. He seems to be wasting away and

there is nothing that we, or his doctors, can do about it.»

«I guessed as much.»

Jane headed for the door; cowardice seemed a far better

alternative to valor at this moment. «I’ll go and see what is

keeping my maid. And I’ll send a manservant to help you bathe

and dress.»

He looked up. «Thank you, Jane.»

She nodded briefly. «Dinner will be at six in the small dining

room.» Still clutching his shirt, she made it to the door and

turned the handle.

«Do we have any guests at dinner?»

«No, it will just be us, although I’m sure the food will be

plentiful. Amy is an excellent cook.»

«I know. You forget, I grew up with her and watched her

learn at her mother’s elbow.»

Of course. Sometimes she forgot it was his home too, more

his than hers, and he could evict her from it in a second if he

chose to. She swallowed down her unease and the sensation that

he was watching her like a cat. She would not sleep with him.

While dinner was being served, she would have Molly remove

some of her clothing and prepare one of the guest chambers for

her use.

«Is Sir Derek a frequent visitor to my house?»

Jane glanced over her shoulder at Blaize and opened her eyes

wide. «Oh yes. He has been such a comfort to me since my

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